Partying Amid Tomfoolery and Shenanigans of Falstaffian Proportions

Paul and Melissa Karger, Amy and Andrew Szczurowski, and Ashley and Wesley Karger. / Photo by Nicole Chan Photography

The ballroom of the Newbury Boston hotel was transformed into an elegant facsimile of a summer evening on Boston Common for Commonwealth Shakespeare Company’s annual gala, Shakespeare Under the Stars.

Front and center were the lead actors from last year’s production of Macbeth, Joanne Kelly and Faran Tahir; Mayor Michelle Wu; cochairs Ricardo Rodriguez and Michael Kelley; stalwart supporters Susan and Bill Poduska; investment whizzes Paul and Wesley Karger with their better halves, Melissa and Ashley; design avatar Elizabeth Lowrey; former Boston Ballet principal dancer John Lam and his husband, John Ruggieri; Broadway in Boston bigwig Tivon Marcus; pied piper of parties Bryan Rafanelli; celebrity chef Tiffani Faison; and one person who said, “I hope we’re at the same table,” to which her friend responded, “I don’t think their insurance would cover that.”

The room was festooned with flowers and greenery, and dinner was peppered with performances of scenes from past and future productions before CSC founding artistic director Steven Maler took the stage. Among his remarks: “When we first started in 1996, we had to contend with rats scurrying around backstage and drunk college students…and we’re still dealing with that.”

Real estate wheeler-dealer Ken Tutunjian won the $13,000 raffle prize of a week for four people at Hidden Pond in Kennebunkport, and the event raised a record sum to help mount this summer’s free production of The Winter’s Tale. The after-party, meanwhile, featured tomfoolery and shenanigans of Falstaffian proportions.

Overheard at the bar:

“That’s quite a necklace.”

“Well, when you hang out with this crowd, you gotta get out the big rocks.”

Faran Tahir and Joanne Kelly. / Photo by Nicole Chan Photography

Michael Kelley, Ricardo Rodriguez, Mayor Michelle Wu, David Friedman, and Steven Maler. / Photo by Nicole Chan Photography

John Ruggieri, John Lam, and Wendy Lane. / Photo by Nicole Chan Photography

Emcee Janet Wu and designer Candice Wu. / Nicole Chan Photography

Fashion Plates

Donning looks by local designers Catarina Abreu, Nubia Williams, Candice Wu, and Drea, patients and staffers strutted their stuff on the runway at Catwalk for Cancer Care, a benefit fashion show for Boston Medical Center. The wildly enthusiastic audience at the Artists for Humanity EpiCenter included the likes of architect Pamela Butz; soccer booster Caroline Foscato; housing advocate Moddie Turay; investment guru Taylor Kenrich; and three women in hot-pink off-the-shoulder jumpsuits. This year, the fashion-forward event raised a whopping half a million dollars for cancer treatment and research at BMC.

Tony Hollenberg and Greg Grillone. / Nicole Chan Photography

Miss Massachusetts Melissa Sapini / Nicole Chan Photography

A model works the runway. / Nicole Chan Photography

Bill Raveis and Collin Sullivan. / Photo by Samantha Yanofsky/Sly Photography

Fifty’s Nifty

More than 1,000 agents, managers, and employees turned out for the 50th-anniversary celebration of William Raveis Real Estate at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut. Present and accounted for were founder Bill Raveis with his proud progeny, Ryan and Chris, as well as mega-brokers such as Sarina Steinmetz, Collin Sullivan, Rabiah Akar, Scott Johnson, Dan Resop, Debi Benoit, Mary Gillach, and Entrepreneur of the Year Rachel Ryan. The party was epic, and everyone toasted to another half-century.

Scott Johnson schmoozing. / Photo by Samantha Yanofsky/Sly Photography

Rabiah Akar and Mary Lewis. / Photo by Samantha Yanofsky/Sly Photography

Chris and Ryan Raveis with Mary Gillach. / Photo by Samantha Yanofsky/Sly Photography

First published in the print edition of the June 2024 issue with the headline, “Partying is Such Sweet Sorrow.”